On November 3, 2022, the lecture on “Defining Factors of Modern Japan-South Korea Relations” of the High-end Symposium on Northeast Asia International and Regional Studies was successfully held both at Jilin University and online in real time. This lecture was jointly organized by the Northeast Asian Research Center of Jilin University, the Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University, and the Special Committee for Northeast Asian Regional Studies, Academic Association for International Cultural Exchange.

    Professor MIMURA MITSUHIRO, President of the Japan’s Association of Northeast Asia Regional Studies and Senior Research Fellow of the Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia (ERINA), gave a keynote speech. Associate Professor Wang Yanjun, Vice Dean of Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University, and Associate Professor Li Hongmei, Deputy Director of the World Economy Institute of JLU, presided over the lecture.

    As an expert on Northeast Asia studies and President of the Japan’s Association of Northeast Asia Regional Studies, Professor MIMURA MITSUHIRO has been long dedicated to the studies on international relations and regional cooperation in Northeast Asia. In the lecture, Professor MIMURA MITSUHIRO analyzed the factors influencing Japan-South Korea relations from the political, economic, social and cultural perspectives. Politically, it is further divided into domestic politics and international politics. In terms of domestic politics, the problems left over by colonial history are important influencing factors, while in terms of international politics, China and the U.S., two major powers, also exert a profound influence on the Japan-South Korea relation. Economically, the supply chains of the two countries are deeply integrated and inseparable. Socially and culturally, the two countries have close ties with frequent people-to-people exchanges. In general, the state of “cold politics and hot economics” between the two countries stays unchanged, with more future improvements to be desired to promote cooperation in Northeast Asia.

    At the end of the lecture, Associate Professor Wang Yanjun pointed out the high value of the lecture and the research conducted by Professor MIMURA MITSUHIRO, which is beneficial for the JLU research team on Japan and Korean studies to clarify their research ideas and explore new research perspectives.